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January 2007
ACFM position on Food Labelling - Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA)
The Association of Cereal Food Manufacturers (ACFM) supports the objective of the Government, along with the Food Standards Agency, to provide clear information to help consumers make healthier and more informed food choices. This is why the industry is committed to align its approach to nutrition labelling by implementing the use of Guideline Daily Amounts (GDAs), which help to inform consumers about the nutritional content in their foods so they can make educated choices about what they eat.
As a commitment of the food and drink industry, all ACFM members already include comprehensive nutritional information on packs. GDA labels help to explain the levels of calories, sugars, fat, saturates and salt that are contained in a suggested portion of food as part of an adults overall diet. Several cereal manufacturers have already adopted the use of GDAs on pack, which are also supported by dieticians and nutritionists. The FSA's own research into front of pack labelling also highlighted that a labelling option incorporating GDAs was the most popular among consumers and the most effective when making comparisons between food products.
Prof. Tom Sanders, Head of Nutritional Sciences at King's College London, commented:
"GDAs enable consumers to make informed choices on balancing their diet by identifying the official recommended guideline levels for key nutrients and calories consumed each day and how much a portion of a particular food contributes to that allowance. Telling people what is not in food won't help them select a balanced diet, and if applied to all foods, a system like the Multiple Traffic Light scheme could unfairly demonise perfectly healthy foods which, when consumed in moderation, make up a balanced diet."
The ACFM will continue to work closely with government and its advisory bodies in order to meet the required objective of helping consumers make healthier food choices.
For further information on the health benefits of breakfast cereals and ACFM positioning, visit www.breakfastcereal.org.
For further information contact the BCIS Team on:
Tel: 020 7815 3900
Email: info@breakfastcereal.org
Notes to Editor:
. The ACFM is the trade association of the UK's leading breakfast cereal manufacturers. Members are Cereal Partners, Dailycer, Jordans, Kellogg's, Morning Foods, PepsiCo, Weetabix and Dorset Cereals
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